Wednesday, May 12, 2010

We tried another "new to us" restaurant while in Charlotte. The Liberty (in the old McIntosh's Steakhouse space) is an interesting blend of gastro-pub and gourmet. The angry mussels a friend of ours described as unbeatable were very tasty, but the calamari "fries" our waiter pushed were overbattered, oversauced and tasteless (other than the sauce).

I really did enjoy the seared tuna entree - it contained both soba noodles and wasabi - two of my favorites. The portions are quite large for the prices, making for a stark comparison with Good Food on Montford (see previous post). Calvin seemed to enjoy his Calabash plate - fried shrimp and fish with fries and hush puppies. I was surprised at the size of the shrimp, having actually eaten shrimp in Calabash, NC where they are tiny and nothing like these large ones. The fish tacos and the trout, two other good choices my parents enjoyed, were also tasty. The Liberty seems to do quite a few things well and boasts an eclectic menu. With tons of beer choices, it's bound to be a South End hit. While I do miss McIntosh's - one of the few steakhouses I really enjoyed, Liberty is a fine choice for a good meal at a good value.